Mechanical apparatus for playing keyboard musical instruments.



PATENTED JAN, 29, 1907.

J. A. ARMSTRONG. MECHANICAL APPARATUS FOR PLAYING KEYBOARD MUSICALINSTRUMENTS;

APPLICATION FI LED 511F122 1906.

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PATENTED JAN-29, 1907. J. A. ARMSTRONG. MECHANICAL APPARATUS FOR PLAYINGKEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1906.

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No. 842,374. PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907. J- A. ARMSTRONG.

MECHANICAL APPARATUS FOR PLAYING KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22. 1906.

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UNITED STATEQ OFFICE.

JOHN ARTHUR ARMSTRONG, OF l/VESTCOMBE PARK, ENGLAND. MECHANICALAPPARATUS FOR PLAYING KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 29, 1907.

Application filed September 22, 1906. Serial No. 335,768.

Be it known that I, JOHN ARTHUR ARM- STRONG, retired lieutenant-colonel,Royal Engineers, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing atGilnockie, \Vestcombe Park, in the county of Kent, England, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Apparatus for PlayingKeyboard Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic playing apparatus for pianofortes,organs, and the like; and it has for its object an improved apparatus ofthe general type described in the specification of my former patent, No.792,386.

In the instrument as constructed according to my former patent abovementioned the playing was effected by striking levers which wereprovided with pistons or like pneumatic devices which could be made toproject from said levers and to engage with the surface of acontinuously'revolving drum. The pistons were caused to project whenrequired by air supplied from the pump through perforations in atunesheet traveling over a tracker-board, the pressure of the air beingcontrolled by a device designated a lung.

According to the present invention the strikers are arranged to haveannular parts embracing the drum, while the connection between the drumand the strikers is made when required by a pneumatic frictional device.With this arrangement it is possible to make the apparatus more compactand more convenient to use. The air is supplied and regulated insubstantially the same manner as before, although the frame and thearrangement of the parts thereon according to the present invention aresomewhat different from the former arrangement.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein-Figure 1 shows a partial front elevation of the apparatus sectioned inparts to show the construction more clearly. Fig. 2 shows a verticalcross-section through the center of the. apparatus. Figs. 3 and 4 aredetail views showing slight modifications.

The upper portion of the apparatus is substantially the same as thatdescribed. in the specification of my earlier patent, and the parts areindicated by the same referencenumerals as are used in the specificationand drawings of the former patent, to which latdescription of theapparatus.

For the purpose of the present description it will suffice to say that 8is the tune-sheet roll, (having a check-spring 2,) and 9 the winding-onroll. 30 and 31 are the perforated tracker-plates between which thetunesheet passes. 20 is the pump, the pistons of which are worked bycranks 17 on a shaft 14, which is actuated by a handle 15. 27 is theairpressure regulator or lung controlled by a handle 61. 77 is theoctave-shunt worked by a pneumatic piston in the cylinder 87, theselatter parts being of the same construction as before, but mounted inthis case on the center part of the machine in proximity to the tracker.The air from the pump 20 is supplied to the lung-cylinder 27 and thencethrough the pipe 28 to the back of the perforated tracker-plate 30, andas perforations occur in the tune-sheet the air is allowed to passthrough to corresponding perforations in the tracker-plate 31, whence itpasses through tubes 51 either directly to the striking mechanism orthrough the octave-shunt 77 in the case of the upper and lower notes ofthe instrument.

It will be seen that these parts are mounted on a frame 7, supported ona beam 4, which extends the full length of the instrument and rests atits ends by supports 1 on the cushions a at the ends of the keyboard.

3 is a longitudinal stay-bar extending in this case in front of thestrikers for the full length of the instrument.

The striking mechanism and means for operating it are constructed asfollows: d is a cylinder or drum extending the full length of thekeyboard and supported at its ends in bearings 66 and preferably, also,at another point by a hanger 0c. The drum is driven in the example ofconstruction shown by a crossed driving-belt 67, working on a pulley 68on the crank-shaft 14 and engaging over a pulley p on the drum (Z; butspur-gearing or chain-and-sprocket gearing might be substituted, ifpreferred. Each striker b has an annular part c embracing the drum, butleaving a space between the two in which is inserted a flattenedinflatable tube 6. The end f of this tube is closed, but the other endis open and communicates through a nipple 0 with the flexible air-tube51. The annular part c has a projection at the top carrying a plug g,adapted to act as a buffer against a rail h, this projection beingnormally pressed j ter reference should be made for a detailed backagainst the rail by a spring 7c, surrounding a set-screw t. Thisset-screw is passed through a plate m at the front of the beam 4 and hasa lock-nut n for fixing it in any required position. The same device isprovided for each key of the keyboard, the strikers for the black keysbeing generally shorter than those for the white keys, as illustrated inFig. 2, in order that suflicient space may be conveniently obtained forthe,

allowed to pass by one of the perforations in the tune-sheet, it reachesthe nipple 0 of the corresponding striker and inflates the flattenedtube e between the continuously-rotating drum (1 and the annular part cof the striker. Suflicient friction is thus produced to cause the drumto carry round the striker while compressing the spring is, and theforce I of the stroke imparted to the key is controlled by theair-pressure supplied by the lung 27, by which the degree of inflationof the tube e is controlled. Immediately that the supplyof air underpressure is stopped the air leaks out from the tube 6 through a finehole provided in any convenient position. The frictional engaging partsare thus released, and the striker is again raised by the action of thespring 7c, which presses back the pr0jection at the top of the strikeruntil the plug 9 lies against the rail h. The flattened tube 6 may be ofindia-rubber or any other suitable material, and it may be provided withfrictional gripping-surfaces of leather or the like or even of thinstrip metal, or an elastic ring or coil might be used adapted to beforced outward or inward by any inflatable container for the air underpressure. g

It will be seen in Fig. 1 that the annular parts 0' of the strikers takea'bearing at one point on the cylinder (1, so that they are alwayscentered on the cylinder, and the tube 6 only serves as a connectingmeans when it is inflated. The outer surface of the tube may be attachedby a suitable cementing mate rial to the interior of the annular part c.

It is to be understood, of course, that in place of the spring is andthe stop device for the striker, comprising the buffer, the rail h, andset-screw i, any equivalent devices might be provided including stopsand a spring or weight tending Y to return the striker to its normalposition. Further, the apparatus need not necessarily be constructed asa whole in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated, as thestriker mechanism may be employed in conjunction with any convenientform of piano-player mechanism arranged to supply air under pressure andto control the supply of air to the separate strikers by a perforatedtune-sheet.

Figs. 3 and 4 show slight modifications of the striker mechanism, theobject of which will be evident. In Fig. 3 the annular part c of thestriker is provided with a projection at 8, adapted to rest on a paddedrail t at the back of the instrument when the striker is not in action.At the front the ring 0 is supported by a spring a, mounted on thecrossbar 3 of the instrument, as shown. The spring a and the projection3 together serve to support the annular part c of the striker,

so that the friction of said striker on the drum 1 (Z is largelyreduced, or practically eliminated, except when the tube fis inflatedfor striking a note. i) represents a cover or shield for the operatingmechanism.

The device illustrated in Fig. 4 is designed for a similar purpose, theprojection s and padded rail i being provided as above described; butthe actual striker 1 instead of being on the ring 0 is now formed as abar 1", which is arranged to slide through the longitudinal piece 3 andto be normally held up by the spring u. The ring 0 now has a projectionat w, adapted to depress the strikerbar 1". When the striker is not inaction, the springu holds up thebar r, thus lifting the projection w tothe extent permitted by a setscrew y, arranged in a support 2, and whenso raised the ring 0 is held up so as to surround the drum d withoutexerting friction thereon.

It is to be understood that the mechanical playing mechanism, as shownin Figs. 2, 3,

and 4, may be used to operate in any convenient position on the keys ofa keyboard or on sets of duplicate keys or striking devices inconnection with a piano-action, no matter in what position such keys maybe in the instrument.

The apparatus may be driven by hand or foot power or by any motorapparatus.

What I claim is- 1. In an automatic player for keyboard musicalinstruments a key-striking mechanism comprising a continuously-revolving drum, a set of key-striking devices each ineluding a ringarranged to embrace the drum, and inflatable means of connection forfrictionally engaging the ring of each striking device-to the drum.

'2. In an automatic player for keyboard musical instruments akey-striking mechanism comprising a continuously revolving drum, a setof key-striking devices each'ineluding a ring adapted to embrace thedrum, means for normally holding the ring in the position in which thestriker is not depressing its key, and inflatable means of connectionfor frictionally engaging the ring to the drum.

3. In an automatic player for keyboard eluding a ring arranged toembrace the drum, I 5

a projection on each ring and a fixed stop for said projection, a springtending to hold the ring against said projection and to hold thestriking member away from thekey and inflatable means of connection forfrictionally 2o engaging the ring to the drum.

1n testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN ARTHUR ARMSTRONG.

Titnesses:

HUBERT A. GILL, LEONARD E. HAYNES

